Re: Routing problems at BT

The hub is allocated an IP address with a limited time lease. When this expires, the hub requests a new one from the BT pool. I think this lasts 3-6 days, matching your 4 day experience.

Although it is fairly random, I expect that your geographic location and exchange will have some bearing on the set you get allocated from.

It is challenging to unpick all of these symptoms.

109 not getting to the news groups is due to the news servers blocking non-BT IP addresses (not a routing issue as such). Poor speed could be a number of things - as this forum aptly demonstrates. tracert is the only real way to show a routing issue on the BT network IMHO.

ChalrleF

Hi. Frankly, the IP address can stay with a user for weeks. The hub doesn't necessarily get a new one, since this can interfere with a connection. It doesn't need to have a new IP address or have an expiry time.

The 109 not getting to the newsserver is actually a firewall or issue with Giganews being told that BT has these certain ranges. True, the firewalls (or the Giganews access from BT) don't let any non BT IP addresses - however there are a few 109.xxx.xxx.xxx BT IP addresses in the dynamic pool.

Re: Routing problems at BT

and at about 8am today BT speedtest gives me

13.8 Mbps/0.8 Mbps

thinkbroadband 4.6Mbps/0.9Mbps

speedtest.net 8.7Mbps/0.9Mbps

I don't mind 4.6 Mbps as long as it's constant, and it's been all over the place the last few days, and when allocated the 109 IP range, impossible to connect to the newsgroups, but I have a feeling there are two different issues here.

However I do wish BT would fix the 109 IP range issue. There's no excuse for wilfully ignoring what seems to be a simpe and identifiable problem that is preventing customers from accessing an important area of the internet.

They had exactly the problem I am experiencing, and stated they had an IP address starting 86.148. That problem was marked as solved, but it was only because they reset and got a new WAN IP address.

Can it really be coincidence that FloFosterJenkins had problems with 86.148 as well, that went away with a new WAP IP?

Is it possible that 86.148 and 86.160 both have routing issues in the core network, that BT can't actually find and fix? Maybe they get so few reports from customers with details (and a hub reset makes the problem appear to go away), that they don't do anything.

Engineer at my house right now. I've demonstrated the routing issue, making it appear and disappear, he's calling the real helpline now.

Re: Routing problems at BT

Ok, engineer has left, problem still not resolved. New hub didn't seem to make any difference. DSL signal and line to exchange all fine (of course).

He spoke to the help desk and demonstrated the routing issue, but it seems to be beyond them to identify it. The engineer took away loads of screen shots of trace routes stating that he'd "never seen anything like this before".

I'll take this up with the forum mods now and see where we go from here.

I must say that everyone at BT has been very helpful and polite over this issue, and the engineer invested a lot of time experimenting with the hubs and talking to his helpdesk for over an hour.

The problem seems to be that if there is an IP routing issue on the BT network, that there isn't a point within the support operation where this can be raised and addressed (the mods help not withstanding of course). Every new person you speak to is determined that the problem is with the hub/phone line/filters/PC and that they can fix it. Alas, not.